University of Notre Dame

Although Notre Dame is a Catholic school and requires students to take at least two theology courses, it welcomes students of all faiths. It is highly selective, reporting that almost 90% of its students were in the top 10% of their high school classes. And while the university is best known for its humanities and business programs, it's also strong in the sciences. The pre-med track is especially grueling: The university warns students that it's a challenge to maintain a 3.0 GPA with those courses. About 95% of students finish within six years, meaning Notre Dame has one of the highest graduation rates in MONEY's rankings. Alumni are valued in the job market, reporting early career salaries of about $62,500, according to PayScale. And many go on to celebrated careers: Grads include talk show hosts Regis Philbin and Phil Donahue, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Major League Baseball Vice President Joe Garagiola Jr., and football hall of famer Joe Montana. Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, including the football team, compete in Division I sports; the school has 23 varsity teams in all, and sports are a big part of the university's social life.